Characterization of shales is beneficial for efficient hydrocarbon production from these resources. Shales are known to be spatially heterogeneous at small length scales (below a micron), which complicates conventional characterization techniques.
Measurements of the physical structure of shales at high resolution (around 10 nanometers) are now commonly performed using electron microscopy. For example, FIG. 1 (PRIOR ART) is an SEM image illustrating a more porous kerogen particle (top) and less porous kerogen particle (bottom), separated by about 10 microns and FIG. 2 (PRIOR ART) is an SEM image illustrating a porous kerogen particle (top) with non-porous tail (bottom right) separated by 10 microns. Measurements of mechanical properties at similar resolutions can be obtained with atomic force microscopy or nanoindentation. Measurements of chemical structure are possible at low spatial resolution (around 1 micron) using conventional infrared microscopy or Raman microscopy, potentially with near-field imaging. Other measurements of chemical composition (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) or thermal properties (transition temperature measurement) are possible in the bulk. An elegant, quick, reliable method to measure all of these properties is desirable.